Shopping for the best LED Light bar or Driving Lights is a lot like shopping for a car, in that different customers have different lifestyles and therefore different requirements. Each one of our driving lights forms different beam shapes, so the best light bar really does come down to the best light bar for the given application.
In our buyer’s guide, you will find night shots we have spent a lot of time and effort in producing and ensuring are as accurate as possible. The night shots are there to help you get the best possible characterization of the overall beam shapes and brightness levels of the different lights within our range.
As always if you still have any questions, feel free to give us a call on +44 (0) 28 9446 5151 or send us an email at sales@stediuk.com
COMPARISON VIDEO
STEDI ST4K SERIES LED LIGHT BAR | DOUBLE ROW
The ST4K series LED Light Bars are our most popular range as we often refer to it as the "jack of all trades". If you're looking for a driving lamp that will meet the lighting requirement of as many situations as possible the ST4K is definitely our most versatile light. The ST4K biggest strength is its relentless beam throw, thanks to it being built on the same tech as our Type-X Spot Lights. Whilst the ST4K's claim to fame is market-leading beam distance, it still maintains a very useful flood beam. This is our 'go-to' light for the customer looking for a one-light solution. Versatile mounting systems with both side and adjustable sliding brackets make this light bar very easily suitable to a wide range of vehicle make / bullbar combinations.
INCLUDED BRACKETS
- 3mm thick 304 Stainless steel side brackets with + or - 15mm height adjustment
- Adjustable Sliding Mounts
TECHNOLOGY
- OSRAM Oslon® LEDs (5700k)
- GE™ Lexan Lens
- Pure-Drive™ circuit design
- Gore® Membrane Pressure Equalization vent
- IP68
- Environmentally sealed Deutsch DT Connector
- RFI and EMI Suppression
ST4K NIGHT SHOTS
(50 Inch model shown)
SHOP AVAILABLE SIZES
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ANTI-THEFT KITS
We have both Anti-Theft kits available for both our ST4K Series side brackets & lower adjustable mounts. These are not a universal fit so depending on the intentions for mounting the bar will determine the relevant Anti-Theft Kit.
PRODUCT VIDEO
STEDI ST3K SERIES | LOW PROFILE SLIM LED LIGHT BAR
The ST3K series provides a powerful punch in the low profile design. Identical beam geometry to the ST4K series, it offers excellent beam distance and a useful wide beam. Designed for the application that is tight on clearance, or for a customer that prefers the stealth low key look. The ST3K compared to ST3301 has a longer beam distance, but less overall brightness. The flood beam of the ST3K is not as effective as the ST3301.
INCLUDED BRACKETS
- Powder Coated 3mm thick stainless steel side brackets (No option to use adjustable slide mounts)
TECHNOLOGY
- OSRAM® Oslon LEDs (5700k)
- Pure-Drive™ circuit design
- GE™ Lexan Lens
- IP68
- Environmentally sealed Deutsch DT Connector
- Pressure Equalization Vent
ST3K NIGHT SHOTS
(51.5 Inch model shown)
SHOP AVAILABLE SIZES
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ANTI-THEFT KITS
We offer a stainless steel option of Anti-Theft for the ST3K side brackets.
PRODUCT VIDEOS
STEDI ST3301 SERIES | SINGLE ROW 10W CREE LED LIGHT BARS
Our ST3301 range has been designed to offer very strong mid-field illumination thanks to its larger diameter spot beam, and excellent visibility on the road shoulders in the nearfield Compared to bars like our ST4K & ST3K (which have a longer beam distance but slightly less overall brightness in comparison) our ST3301 forms a larger diameter spot which blends homogeneously with its wide beam. Perfectly suits the customer who is mainly concerned about wildlife running out from the road shoulders or those who need a huge amount of brightness and coverage in the mid short and mid-range. If you have pre-existing lights and are content beam distance you already have, ST3303 is a great supplementary lamp to take care of near and mid-field illumination.
INCLUDED BRACKETS
- 3mm thick stainless steel side brackets
- Adjustable sliding mounts
TECHNOLOGY
- CREE™ XM-L2 LEDs (5500k)
- GE™ Lexan Lens
- IP68
- Environmentally sealed Deutsch DT Connector
- Pressure Equalization Vent
NIGHT SHOTS
(39 Inch Model shown)
SHOP AVAILABLE SIZES
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ANTI-THEFT KITS
Our ST3301 Series LED Light Bars also run the same Anti-Theft kit for both side and lower mounts as our ST4K Series.
PRODUCT VIDEOS
ST3303 PRO SERIES | ULTRA HIGH OUTPUT
It’s our most expensive light bar ever produced. The price is right up there, and so is the performance. You're going to need to spend more money to order a pair of high-end sunglasses, or welders mask so that you can safely use this bar while driving at night. If we’re being honest, no one needs a driving light with this level of performance. We only made it because the LED geeks in our team insisted that: “...it would be freakin’ cool”. The type of person that buys a driving light like this has a very strong light fetish and thinks that dropping a Cummins 6.7L in a Daihatsu Charade is adequate and appropriate. If you have ever had the privilege of witnessing the performance of our other bars in our range like the ST4K, you’d probably say “Why on earth does anyone need more light than this” – Well, the ST3303 PRO is precisely that, more.
INCLUDED BRACKETS
- Heavy Duty Adjustable Bottom Mounts
- 4mm Thick Stainless Steel Side Brackets
TECHNOLOGY
- CREE™ XPL-Hi LEDs (5700k) SC5 Technology™
- GE™ Lexan Lens
- IP68
- Environmentally sealed Deutsch DT Connector
- Nitto Denko™ Breather with PTFE microporous membrane
- RFI and EMI Suppression
NIGHT SHOTS
(23.3 Inch Model shown)
SHOP AVAILABLE SIZES
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ANTI-THEFT KITS
With the upgrade to the ST3303 Pro series light bar that now caters for mounting via the side
ST3303 Anti-Theft | Lower Sliding Brackets
ST3303 Pro Anti-Theft | Side Brackets
COLOURED END CAPS
With the move to the Pro range, we have brought across the elements from our Type X in terms of customization. With the new design, end caps are now able to be changed to the desired colour with a mild range available on release and more to be added shortly down the track.
PRODUCT VIDEOS
STEDI ST2K SERIES | SUPER-DRIVE CURVED LIGHT BARS
Unlike any other driving light on the market, our ST2K series is designed for those needing excellent mid to long-range light distribution. It is important to note that the ST2K only starts to become effective at 150 to 200m, and will require a minimum of 100m of clear to form its beam. For this reason, we do not recommend the ST2K for dense bush & forest tracks. Due to its unique rear-facing LED with hooded reflectors, the ST2K will produce very little light in the near field but will produce a huge amount of coverage in the critical 10 o’clock and 2 o’clock region. Excellent for high-speed applications, or applications that warrant long braking distances. Often compared with our ST4K, the 2K & 3K are almost opposites in light distribution, but at the same time they go about achieving the same thing in a different way, picking between these two ultimately depends on the customer’s application.
AVAILABLE BRACKETS
- Stainless steel side brackets
- Adjustable Sliding Mounts
TECHNOLOGY
- LED (5700k)
- Optical grade, hard-coated Lexan
- Pressure Equalization vent
- IP68
- Environmentally sealed Deutsch DT2 Connector
NIGHT SHOTS
SHOP AVAILABLE SIZES
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ANTI-THEFT KITS
We offer Anti-Theft for the lower sliding brackets. (No option available for the side brackets at this stage)
PRODUCT VIDEOS
STK1 SERIES | E-MARK
Our new ST1K series is ECE approved, making it road-legal in Europe and New Zealand. The wide-horizontal beam patterns significantly reduce glare caused by road signs. Featuring our innovative hooded reflector design with rear-facing LEDs enables unprecedented beam control - not possible with more conventional optics. The multi-faceted hooded reflectors distribute a wide beam in the mid-field, with no wasted light on treetops. The wide-horizontal beam patterns significantly reduce glare caused by road signs. The beam pattern makes it an ideal companion to the vehicle's main beam, filling in the road shoulders and adding beam distance over and above your car's main-beam, ensuring you arrive at your destination in total comfort.
AVAILABLE BRACKETS
- Stainless steel side brackets
- Adjustable Sliding Mounts
TECHNOLOGY
- OSRAM LEDs
- Innovative Hooded Optics
- Driving Beam E-Mark Compliant Beam
- IP68
- Environmentally sealed Deutsch DT2 Connector
NIGHT SHOTS
SHOP AVAILABLE SIZES
ANTI-THEFT KITS
Our ST1K Series LED Light Bars also run the same Anti-Theft kit for both side and lower mounts as our ST3303 Series.
PRODUCT VIDEOS
ST-X SERIES | E-MARK
Features our new borderless design ST-X LED range features an amber and white LED DRL / Back Light Function. As well as a high and low mode to meet E-Mark compliance.
If you're looking for a driving light that offers near-field spread, keep moving, this is not that. The optical properties of the hooded reflector design is best described as high-beam on steroids. The ST-X excels in the high-speed, high-way application when mid to long-range visibility is critical.
- Significantly minimises adverse reflection from road signs
- Controlled vertical spread minimises reflections off of high-mounted road signs.
AVAILABLE BRACKETS
- Stainless steel side brackets
- Adjustable Sliding Mounts
TECHNOLOGY
- LED Parking / Position Light Function (Amber or White built-in)
- Breather allows pressure equalisation when rapid heat up and cool down cycles occur
- Driving Beam E-Mark Compliant Beam
- Shockproof, IP68 waterproof, UV Shielded
- Environmentally sealed Deutsch DT2 Connector
NIGHT SHOTS
SHOP AVAILABLE SIZES
ANTI-THEFT KITS
Our ST-X Series LED Light Bars also run the same Anti-Theft kit for both side and lower mounts as our ST4K Series.
PRODUCT VIDEOS
LUMENS, LUX & WATTS. WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?
LED Light Bars and Lumens
Lumens (lm) are considered to be the measure of the total amount of light visible from a beam.
Lumens tells us how bright. Certainly, the lumen rating plays a part in determining the brightness of the light, but should never be the single deciding factor when choosing which LED light bar you should purchase. The reason we say this is, the ANSI standard for measuring lumens is in an integrated sphere, in other words, the lumen output is measured at close proximity to the light source.
In driving light terms, Lumen output is not the best indicator of the performance of any particular LED light bar or driving light, given we are more concerned about our driving lights performance at 20 to 300m. As an example, you could have two light bars side by side with equal lumen ratings, but different reflector or lens configurations with hugely varying light output at say 150m. In short, the delivered light (lux) is the more appropriate rating. Two different lights bar both with 10,000 Lumens can have very different lux reading at 100m. We have seen Lux measurement of similar spec bars vary by 50% or more at a mere 10m, despite having identical on paper Lumen output. If we remove all of the optics or reflectors from any given light bar, the delivered lumens count doesn't change (in fact it is likely to go up), but needless to say, the beam performance is affected drastically.
Aside from the fact that most Lumen numbers we encounter are totally fictitious, there are many other important metrics that should be considered.
MORE WATTS = MORE LIGHT, RIGHT? WRONG.
Have you ever wondered why the cheapest LED driving lights seem to have the highest “Watts”, and the premium gear produced by the most respected manufacturers have far less in comparison?
In brief terms, Watts is a of measure the amount of energy consumed by any given luminaries. Thanks to older incandescent light bulbs, people are used to looking at Watts to determine light output. With this older style technology, it is correct to assume that 100 Watt light bulb is likely to be brighter when compared to a 60 Watt bulb. This same logic however cannot be applied to LED driving lights or LEDs in general. When it comes to LED, it is ok to think about Watts as a measure of input power, but it’s never ok to think of Watts as a measure of output. There is no relationship between Watts & Lumens and no relationship between Watts & Lux when it comes to LED Driving Lights or LED Light Bars once the LED is placed inside of a circuit.
Two different LED Light bars with different LED emitters can consume an equal number of Watts but differ widely in light Lumen output (aka Efficacy). For example, one 3W LED may have an efficiency of 128Lm/W where another may only have 65Lm/W, therefore, deciding which LED light bar or driving light to purchase based on Watt is very misleading.
LEDs' very existence is low power, high output. Big power consumption and big Watts go against the very existence of LEDs. All the high end cutting edge LEDs being released by the top tier manufacturers are consuming less and less current/Watts but produce even higher Lumens. In 2006 CREE's best LED on offer at the time was producing 131 Lumens Per Watt (LPW) - in 2014 their best emitter was producing 303 LPW.
The comparison shot below drives this home perfectly.
DRIVING LIGHTS & LUX - A very important metric, but not the end all be all.
Lux is defined as being the measure of light intensity, as perceived by the human eye. It is the measure of light at a given distance on a surface. Driving light manufacturers have pushed aside Lumens in favour of Lux (Lx) and are 2016 latest buzz word in the driving light arena. Lux distance data is definitely an important metric but is misleading if considered in isolation. A laser pointer could theoretically have a peak beam distance of 5km at 1 lux, but I think we would all agree that a pair of laser pointers will make for an awful driving light.
When driving light manufacturers to carry out photometric testing to obtain isolux data, the goniophotometer used to test this metric only measures the peak intensity at the center of the entire beam, which is great, but what about the rest of the beam? If 5 different driving lights all have 1 lux at 500m, which one do you buy? To obtain remarkable isolux numbers it is simply a matter of focusing down the beam, but beam focusing comes at the expense of light coverage. The very best driving lights are the ones that strike the best possible balance between brightness (Lm) and beam throw (Lx). Some of the best of the best driving light manufacturers refuse to quote lux distance numbers on their flagship products because taken in isolation is misleading in particular when customer's are comparing Lux data between separate manufacturers. The best driving light isn't necessarily the one that achieves the longest beam throw. The best driving lights in our view are the ones that have a well-formed usable overall beam shape, and most importantly, the one which is best suited to the customer's application.
We hope this blog entry has answered some of your questions, but as always if you still need some advice, please feel free to give us a call on +44 (0) 28 9446 5151, or if you are in Northern Ireland, pop into our warehouse 5 Antrim Business Park, Randalstown Road, Co. Antrim, UK, BT41 4LD.